Deception (30 page)

Ian was faster than the time it took for me to spiral down to the ground where the caged wall was wider to reach through.  The little bugger was clawing in to get me.  Ian was there in seconds yanking off the little tyrants and flicking them like dirt from his finger nails.  I could see better from the ground.  So many! Over a dozen! They were nearly all extinguished when he realized the one who had a hold of my foot was still aiming his razor sharp teeth in the direction of my ankles.   My shoes had been pulled off and discarded beyond my reach.

“For all that’s green in this world, would you puhlease find your meal elsewhere?”  He said as he flicked it away as easily as the rest.  Silence filled the air.  My guards still stood where they started.  Our various traveling companions were all standing around with the same stunned silence.  A few were cleaning already, others checking for movement

I was a mess, but I managed to mock him, “You said
puhlease.
”

Succumbing to his arms immediately, I wanted to laugh again at his voice mocking my sarcasm, but I couldn’t find the strength.  I whimpered in his arms before he released me and stepped back to look down seeing his clothes torn.  His shirt in was in shreds, a
gain!
  I searched for broken bones forgetting to keep my hands to myself.  In all the hype he still managed to give me a
what are you doing
look.  I felt better though and kept my inner goddess hooray to myself thinking that was A number one awesome!  I also saw the burn on his leg from the fireplace peeking out of the shredded pants.  It was less than an inch long across the left leg at the top part of the calf, not his shin.  I touched it wanting my mind to wrap around the idea that he might have more scars.

“I, of course, am not immune to iron.  Have several scars.”  He was still breathing heavily.

My eyes went wide, “Where are they?”  Like he was answering my thoughts. 

He put his free hand on my shoulder, “Later, babe.”  He freaking smiled. 
Dog!

I blushed so heavily I stumbled over my own steps and blinked back the dirty thoughts.  “What were those things?”  I looked around at all the carnage distracting myself and noting he wasn’t that shaken up about it all.

“Remember, you saw the goblins that first day you came.  You compared their speech to turkeys if I recall.”  He turned to the guards and gave orders to burn them.  The guards began piling the bodies. On the ground where they started building the pile the rocks held a yellow tint and even led up to the giant rock formation where apparently the creatures hid in wait for the attack.  It reminded me of the yellow brick road.

I watched for the first few bodies to ooze and crunch and felt my stomach start to squeeze up so I opted to move away knowing that this kind of thing might happen often in this chosen life.  I didn’t want to be the weak queen who barfed at the sight of the gross and nasty.  I had a feeling this was the first of many yellow brick road events in my new life and many more wicked witches of the east!

“Not out loud, I didn’t,” I mumbled under my breath with certain misgivings.   The first goblin run-in was
before
I knew he could read minds.

His smile kept me from frowning too long. 

“I could still hear you then.  I do have a present for you later.” He paused knowing he was changing the subject, “That made for an interesting story to save for later.  Perhaps we can discuss other possible outcomes to avoid even stickier situations later.  The queen should be safe.”

“So formal sounding mister, and what present?” I tried not to sound too eager.

He didn’t answer. 
Harrumph!

He was back on the previous conversation aimed at the guards more than me, I think.  “Well, they were here for a reason, I’m sure of it.  Someone sent them.”  He stopped and scanned the clearing before adding from the altered subject, “And I had it made for you.  It isn’t ready yet.” 

He turned to my two towering saviors who hadn’t wavered yet.  I hated to think what they might do in a “stickier situation”.  Would they die for me?  I couldn’t stand the thought. 

He’d guessed my agony from my facial expressions and knew he couldn’t comfort me.  “They were given orders by Queen Lazyra to protect you at all costs.  They were a gift to you.   They have hers, and your, sworn allegiance.”  I wasn't happy with that, he could tell.  "Remember I told you about the laws we, the Seelie, live by?”  I nodded, trying to recite them in my head forgetting all about presents.   

“Death before dishonor.”  Not a question, just a statement.  He watched my face for recogznition.

“But they aren’t original members of the Seelie court, I’m guessing,” I gestured to their obvious differences.  I was told they were human, but they did look...different.

He didn’t respond.

“Love conquers all.”  He waited. 

“And never forget a debt.”  He reflected like it was a current condition, then shot a look at Rion.  I saw Rion nod just slightly.

I stared silently.  I could tell he was patiently waiting for me to figure it all out, but I couldn’t wrap my head around these creatures who’d just shed the light of “death in my defense” for my safety. 

“So, I’m guessing…they have allegiance with the Seelie Court and therefore have to abide by their conduct.  I’m flattered, but that’s barbaric.”

“It is our way.  Your way.”

He reached to move the horrible black cannon like balls out of the way for me to walk, but stopped and motioned for Rion to get them.  He obeyed.

“Iron?” I guessed. 

“Very clever!  How did you guess?”

“The fire place at the party.  I didn’t know till right now.  It was just a guess.”  I thought more.  “What is your sword made of?  And the daggers?”

He was in facial surprise mode.

“I read Ian, a lot!  Remember?”

He just shook his head with a smile.  “Pure silver.  Fey are “allergic” to iron.  It’s why your mom wanted copper.”  He knew this would make me have questions.

Huh?  “Oh.My.—“

He watched me gain one revelation after another.  “All the weird things my mom does.  That’s why.  She could have been hurt by my own negligence.   How did I never know?”

“You couldn’t, remember?  Safety, treaties, Kinsler, prophecy…she’d do anything for you Grace.”

I needed to focus on what’s at hand and not the secrets my mom kept.  She is in such huge trouble when I see her next.  When will that be?  I wanted to tear up, but closed my mind to it and returned to the matter at hand.   “What does iron do?”

“It weakens us, but in large doses, it can kill us.  It slowly drains you and eventually your life force.  But not you.  You are not affected.  Being part human apparently makes you unaffected.  And the only thing that can scar us also.”

“No iron then.  Note to self.”  A shiver wound around my spine.  “I still want to know where all these scars of yours are.”

“Will be granted.”

He laughed and held my hand to walk me out of the mess.  The guards followed and did, by the way, seem fully recovered.

I woke from another night of restless sleep in my shimmery silver coffin like bed.  Recent events had been both excitingly
good
, and excitingly
bad
.  I laid there for a little while just thinking about what the mark on my wrist would mean for us.

A soft sound was coming from the entrance of my room.  The room was cold, but the bed was smothering me.  I assumed the knock on the door was Danella, but remembered too late Danella
never
knocked.   I sat and stretched my arms up aching from the trip saying for her to to come in before I realized it.  He walked in and stood right inside the door. 

“I just wanted to check on you.”   He didn’t look anywhere else but my eyes from across the room but swallowed aloud to show his discomfort.

I froze in mid stretch still with my arms in the air.  “Um!”  I dove back into the bed.  Dang these too tight silk nightclothes.   I held the covers tight.  My Angel Grace was kicking in now all full of modesty.

He noticed all of this, of course.

“It’s later than usual.  I thought maybe you’d be almost ready and I could walk you to morning meal,” he stumbled over his words.  He wasn’t moving, or reacting, or anything.

Smiling from the bed covers, I said, “I would love that.”

He lingered there a while. I half thought maybe he was trying to find more to say, but the silence just hung in the air.  The prospect of him standing there indefinitely made it hard to get dressed. 

Finally he said, “I’ll be waiting outside when you’re ready.  Danella will let me know.” 

His eyes traveled to my brush sitting on the bed stand next to me. 

My eyes followed. 

He smiled.

I smiled back.

He turned to watch me as he left exercising iron control. I silently sighed with happiness. 

Danella arrived somehow right on cue with a giant grin spread across her face. 

“What are you smiling about my little escapee?”

“Escapee, my lady, I have no idea what you’re talking about!”  Danella was being the little crafty one now.

“Oh, I think you do.”  Danella blinked her eyes repeatedly. “You’ve been posted at my door religiously.  I feel well chaperoned with you around and yet, someone got by you recently.  How is that?”

“What?  Someone got by me?”  She wasn’t going to budge. “Miss Grace, I was instructed by Lady Lazyra to ensure that the current queen continues to be “undisturbed” at all times by
anyone
for any reason.  And since no one has gotten by me yet…” she winked one eye, “I am upholding my orders.”

“I appreciate your excellent guarding skills Danella.  You’ve only my best interest at heart.” I winked back.

Danella had my hair done before I was half-dressed with record time and almost out of breath when I was ready.  I was sure he could hear all the banging and bumping around in the dressing area.  If he could, he’d forgotten by the time I stepped out.

He was there, waiting with a radiant smile spread across his face.  That was exactly what I needed.

We ate not taking our eyes off of each other.  Our knees leaned into the other’s knocking sideways and back again each time on purpose.  We made what little small talk we had to with the neighboring table mates, but mostly uttered a series of different comments like “yeah” and “uh huh” to everyone who spoke.  I knew he was just avoiding the talk with the seer.

When we were almost finished a bad memory played on my brain as I caught a glimpse of Rion and Caymin at the door.  They were bandaged and cleaned up from the previous day’s incident, but stood there with the same dangerous message they’d always emitted from their presence. 
Beware
!  I imagined their physical pain to be great, but they didn’t show any suffering.

Ian saw where my eyes wandered so I waited for him to offer insight.  He didn’t. Fine, I would start.  “Was the nod you gave Rion yesterday a way of saying thank you, or did it mean something else?”  I was sure I knew the answer to my own question, but somehow I wanted to hear it from him. I staked the apple slices that were meant to be a finger food and put it in my mouth waiting and chewing.

Once again, he didn’t give me credit enough for the small things I caught.   One day he would acknowledge it and believe it.   “I am in his debt for saving you.”

“But you said he had no choice!”  He heard the strain in my voice.  Obviously he could see I’d already come to some conclusions and was battling with the understanding of it.  Or rather, the misunderstanding of it.

“Yes, death before—“

I was growing impatient, “I know, I know.”  I rolled my eyes.

“Let me finish,” he hedged.  He was reluctant, but knew the conversation was unavoidable.  He heaved his shoulders in defeat.

“When Fey ask another to do something for them, they are obligated to return the debt.  Without fail?”

“And you asked Rion to do what?”

“Save you.” 

I wasn’t sure what to say.  He’d always “rescued” me.  Selfish and self centered, I neglected to consider Ian could actually get hurt during one of these random rescue attempts.  That was painful to think about.  Could he really die?  I should’ve thought of this before. I admonished myself for forgetting how precious his life was too.  First things first!  “Save me?”  How many debts does he owe out to others?

“I asked them to save you.  They took the shots for you.  You’d have been killed with one hit.”

“Nothing is simple around here, is it?”  I was blown away by the heaviness of the implications.

“No!” he paused.  “He did, and now I am in his debt.”

“And you have to repay him how?”

“When he calls on me to repay it!”

Loyalty was evident in the way the Seelie Court Fey honored their laws.  I could see that coming to light.  Back to other things! “And you can die too?”  I was staring intently at his face turning sideways to miss nothing.

“Yes.  I’m not as invincible as I make myself out to be.  But I’m glad you think so.”  He smiled. 

“I guess I’ve just watched you battle goblins and defeat Nym guards and…” I looked down at my food, “and rescue me all the time, I didn’t take time to think you could possibly lose.  You are so amazing in the sparring ring.  The lumberjack wouldn’t have a chance against your big bad wolfiness.”

“I love your confidence in me and your analogies.  But, the important point to make here is that you are still very fragile and I will not let anything happen to you.”

I was angry at his reference to my weakness, “I’m not
that
fragile.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Not even I would have survived the impact of their ammo, Grace.  For that, I’m in Rion’s debt.”

He could have been killed.  I was at a loss.

Reading everything in my face, he comforted me with, “I’m fast, Grace.  I’ve had years of practice.  I’ll not be easily killed.”  He waved his arms up and made them dance in the air like a superhero stance.

“Not reading my thoughts, are you?” 

We both needed a smile to ease the tension.  That did it. 

“More like indestructible, don’t you think?” I stated as a matter of fact.

“Already conquered by you, green eyes, as hard as it may be to admit!”

I smiled playfully batting my eyes.

He just smiled grabbing my hand under the table and tracing patterns around my wrist.  He was worrying more than he let on.